The present invention relates to a dental instrument and, more particularly, to a dental instrument that can be used to place a rubber-dam clamp in a patient's mouth and, further, that can be used to place a retaining ring around a tooth for a sectional matrix system.
A rubber-dam and rubber-dam clamp are used to isolate the field of operation on a tooth from saliva and blood, and to ease removal and filling of material. In addition, the dam prevents the filling material, such as chemicals (bonding agents, etchings, amalgams, and composite material), from coming in contact with the mucus membranes and throat.
The procedure for placing a rubber-dam is to first punch a hole in the rubber-dam material and then place a frame around the rubber-dam material. The hole in the dam is lined up with the tooth or teeth to be isolated. The rubber-dam material is then pushed around the tooth or teeth until it is seated against the gingival tissue. A rubber-dam clamp is then placed on a tooth with a pair of rubber-dam clamp forceps to secure the rubber-dam material from raising up or coming off the patient's tooth or teeth. This procedure is used both in general dentistry as well as endodontic and periodontal procedures where isolation may be needed.
Ring and sectional matrix systems have been used since the 1980's when composite restorations (white fillings) started to become popular. A composite restoration is a tooth color filling material that hardens when a certain wavelength of light comes into contact with the material. The ring of the sectional matrix system provides the force necessary to separate the teeth to accommodate the shrinkage that occurs in all composite materials when they harden. Isolation is extremely important when performing a composite restoration because foreign materials, such as saliva, blood, tooth particles, amalgam and/or composite material, may get into the composite restoration and greatly hamper the success of the restoration. When compromised by foreign material, the bonding and sheer strength of the composite material may be reduced and sensitivity to the patient's tooth will be increased. Hence, the overall success of the composite restoration may be reduced. Therefore, it is imperative for a dentist to isolate the tooth being restored when performing composite restoration, which isolation is best achieved using a rubber-dam.
Today, many dentists are performing composite restorations for their patients and are using a ring and sectional matrix system. When these systems are used with a rubber-dam, the forceps that a dentist uses for placing a rubber-dam clamp are sometimes used for placing the rings when performing the composite amalgam restoration (FIG. 30). However, when using a rubber-dam clamp forceps for placing a ring into the interproximal space of a restoration, the rubber-dam clamp forceps do not open far enough for certain ring systems. In addition, when placing the ring, the lower end of the forceps can get entangled or interfere with the dam and/or a previously placed ring (as best appreciated from FIG. 30). Two rings are often used, for example, when repairing both interproximal areas of a tooth. Further, the ring will often not stay in the proper position for placement between the teeth because it may have a tendency to rock or rotate up or down between the forceps' arms. As a result, there is a risk that the ring will spring off the forceps. This later situation could result in the patient swallowing a ring if the rubber-dam is not properly placed before starting the restoration.
Consequently, there is a need for a dental instrument that permits proper placement of both a rubber-dam clamp and a ring of a sectional matrix system, preferably, with a single dental apparatus.